Whenever there is a construction site, there will most likely be a crane. But there are different types of crane used for specific projects. A crane is a simply a tower wherein wires are attached, with pulleys and their purpose is to lift and lower materials. They can be mounted on a vehicle or fixed in a location.
Many construction companies can use cranes for different purposes. These companies also use other products and services such as industrial cleaning equipment and heavy-duty trucks for hire. Learn about your options when you need a crane for your construction project.
Mobile Cranes
The most common type of crane is mobile crane because it is the most versatile. The mobile hydraulic crane is a combination of a telescopic boom that is mounted on a mobile base or platform, which could be a rail or a truck. The boom can be elevated or lowered by hydraulic posts or powered cables as it is hinged at the bottom.
Construction firms prefer mobile crane because it can be moved to a different location, where the repairs are taking place. However, the mobility is limited by the “footprint” which refers to the size of the base. The base is usually large to keep it stable, or it can be fitted with outriggers.
The Floating Crane
The floating crane is named as such because it is usually mounted on a ship—sometimes called the crane ship. These are the cranes used in offshore construction. They usually carry heavy loads and they are being used to unload other ships, or even try to retrieve sunken ships under the water. Crane ships are on a fixed direction and they cannot rotate. The capacity is generally around 9000 tons.
The Telescopic Crane
In construction, telescopic refers to the large boom where the crane is attached. There would be tubes fitted inside to expand the height or length of the boom through hydraulics. They are most useful when transporting to high places because their heights can be adjusted. Telescopic cranes are also useful in rescue operations.
The Crawler Crane
This crane is aptly named because it stands on movable tracks, also known as crawlers. These crawlers can be move on any type of surface, even on soft soil because the crawlers can spread itself out on a wide area for added stability. These are especially useful when the construction site has not yet been leveled or paved.
The tracks are heavy and difficult to mount, though, so it is not easy to transfer the crawler cranes to a different location, unlike the mobile cranes. You need to use trucks to move the tracks and that can be an added cost on the project.
Rough Terrain Cranes
These cranes are mounted on four rubber tires and are used for challenging locations that could not be accessed by the mobile cranes. When the site is reached, the base has outriggers to provide added stability. The rough terrain crane is purely for off-road sites, as opposed to the all-terrain crane that can also be used for paved roads.
Cranes are used in any type of construction site, so we must continue to develop different cranes to adjust to any situation or location. The development has gone a long way and the reduced construction time is already proof of that.
